Shower head



y 7- E. H. BUCKNELL' E AL 2,423,960

SHOWER HEAD Filed Oct. 23, 1944 I MW Patented July 15, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOWER HEAD Ernest H'. Bucknell and Ralph Edwin Bletclier, Los' Angele's, Califl, assignors of ten per cent to Ralph E. Bletcher, twelve and one-half per cent toErnest H-. BucknelI; twelve and-one-half per cent to Mabel Bucknell, ten percent to. Pearl White Bletcher, twenty-five per cent to Marcia: Bucknell. Liston, tenper cent" to James H. Bletcher, tenper cent to Hazel Bletcher Skinner, and ten: per cent. to Charlotte By B. Robinson, ally of. Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 23, 1944, Serial No. 559,884

7 Claims. 1-.

This invention relates to shower heads and more. particularly to a shower head of the type adapted to produce. an evenly'filled f'rustoconical spray column of relatively fine drops or of a relatively even dispersion of water over the crosssection. of the said column.

This invention may be considered in the modification shown an improvement over the shower head disclosed in, the Patent No. 2,156,800 granted to us for Shower head, May 2, 1939;

It is an object of this invention to provide a simplified construction of shower head which includes: a floating plug or dispersion member which is formed to cooperate with the body structure to-determine the character of spray emitted from the head and which is urged to position within the. head under the force of the water passing through the body.

Another object of this invention is to provide a. shower head incorporating a free-floating, selfseating, r positioning dispersion member or plug which may be easily moved from position to permit flushing out of the head."

Another object of this invention is to provide simple construction of shower head which is easilyassembled, incorporating a minimum number of parts, and is free of definite restricted passages which are capable of clogging and which also provides for an even distribution or dispersion of the water in fine subdivisions or drops which evenly fill' a shower cone.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the hereinafter set. forth description of a preferred embodiment thereof as set forth in the accompanying drawing and description thereof.

In the drawing:

' Figure 1 is a sectional elevation. of a shower head embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the floating dispersion member thereof.

In'thepreferred embodimentiof our invention the shower head is illustrated as of the type of head set forth in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,156,- 800. In this construction there is provided a bellshaped body I. having a.v flare discharge end 2 from which the spray or dispersed cone of water is emitted. The degree of flare of the inner periphery M of the cylinder 1, together with the arrangement of dispersion elements of the fioating dispersion member 4, and the dispersion surfaces 5, 6 and I4, determines the flare of the water cone emitted from the said head.

The. body I is formedwith a flow cylinder 1 which extends into the flare skirt 8 of the body l-. The-water passage 9 iormedthrough this. cyl- 21 inder acts to direct thev water directly through the passage I0 provided between the taperedsecetion ll of the member 4' and the tapered flow surface i201 the cylinder 1. This pas sage H25 is thus to-rmed to direct the flow of water against a stepped surface l3 of the member 4.. This water so impinged against the surface l3- is reflected against the cooperatingw dispersion surfaces; Ht at the end of the cylinder 1 beyond the passage or'throat, I 0. This compound diversion of flowat the water causes a splitting. or breaking upoi the water into fine drops which fall: from the head under reduced velocity (dependent upon. the. velocity and pressure of the water entering. the head) and at the sametime producesa completely filled or evenly distributed cone" orwater emitted from the said head.-

The dispersion element k is easily assembledwithin the body by merely dropping the same through the cylinder 1. Beyond thetapered section H the member 4 is" formed with a cross or branch i5 by which it is adapted to engage a shoulder 3 of the cylinder 1 to hold the same member 4'from' being blown from the head under the pressure of the water. This cross or branch. I5 is. formed with relation to thedispersion-- surface 6 of the rim l3 so that the said surface is properly positioned in the line ofv flow of: thewater below the throat I0.

Means are provided for retaining: themember' 4" within. the? cylinder during use, which means may comprise a sealing ring it of rubber or' the like whichis seated uponithe seat I"! and against which the balli I8 of the swivel socket is pressed by threading the sleeve W of the" socket to the body L. The ball ['8 may provide a. flow branch 20 by which it is connected to the shower flow line (not shown)- A- flow passage 2| is formed through'the'ball I8.

It" will be observed that inthis modification the dispersion member 4' is free-floating. within the cylinder 1'. It is urged to position by the water admitted to: the cylinder, however,. the cylinder is preferably of a length equal to or greater than. thelength of the member 4 to permit the member 4 tobe pressed completely uphead. The dispersion member 4 may also freely rotate which avoids any tendency toward chanrneling of the throat ID or elements forming the throat. This is true under use or flow conditions.

Having fully described our invention and a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that our invention is not limited to the deunattached dispersion member located in'the flow passage and normally extending through the throat to define an annulus within the throat through which the water flows as an annular appended claims.

We claim:

1. A shower head comprising a body having a directional flow passage formed therein, an unattached dispersion member located in the flow passage and defining with the said flow passage an axial flow throat, a radial dispersion surface formed on the dispersion member beyond the throat and against which surface the water is directed by the said throat, and cooperating stop means formed in the body and on the dispersion member to position the dispersion surface beyond the throat as the dispersion member is urged through the throat by the water flowing through the head.

2. In a shower head, the combination of a body having a directional flow passage formed therethrough, an unattached dispersion member located in the flow passage and defining with the flow passage a directional flow throat, a lateral dispersion surface formed on the dispersion member beyond the throat, a cooperating dispersion surface formed within the body beyond the throat, and means formed on the dispersion member and within the body for stopping the dispersion member within the throat to position the lateral dispersion surface of the said dispersion member with relation to the dispersion surface of the body, and coupling members secured to the body adapted to limit movement of the dispersion member within the flow passage.

3. A shower head comprising a body having a directional flow passage formed therein, an unattached dispersion member located in the flow passage'and defining with the flow passage a flow throat, a lateral dispersion surface formed on the dispersion member beyond the throat and against which surface the water is directed by said throat, the lateral dispersion surface being of such diameter as to permit the dispersion member to be moved freely through the throat into the body and cooperating stop means formed within the body and upon the dispersion member to position the dispersion surface beyond the throat as the dispersion member is urged through the throat by the water flowing through the head."

4. A shower head comprising a body having a directional flow passage formed therein terminating in a tapered throat tapered to present the smallest diameter at its discharge end, an unattached dispersion member located in the flow passage and defining with the flowpassage a directional flow throat, a lateral dispersion surface having an external diameter less than the smallest diameter of the said throat formed on the dispersion member and being normally positioned beyond the throat and against which surface the water is directed in flowing through the throat, and cooperating stop means formed in the body and on the dispersion member such that the lateral dispersion surface is positioned beyond the throat under the pressure of the water flowing through the head. a

5. A shower head comprising a body having a directional flow passage formed therein, the body being formed to define a-flow throat Within'the flow passage which is tapered in' the direction of flow of water therethrough to present its smallest diameter at the discharge end of the throat, an

sheet, a lateral. dispersion surface formed on'the dispersion member beyond the throat and against which surface the water is directed by said throat such that the water impinging against the said surface is deflected, the body extending beyond the throat and defining a flared interior surface against which the deflected water impinges whereby the annular sheet of water is dispersed as a fine spray from the head.

6. A showerhead comprising a body having a directional flow passage formed therein terminating in a tapered throat having its smaller diameter at the discharge end thereof, an unattached dispersion member located in. the flow passage and normally extending through the throat and defining with the throat a directional flow path, the unattached dispersion member having a lateral dispersion surface normally positioned beyond the throat and against which surface the water is directed in flowing through the throat, cooperating stop means formed in the body and on the dispersion member such that the dispersion surface is positioned beyond the throat'under the pressure of the water flowing through the head, and the lateral dispersion surface of the dispersion member being of such an external diameter as to permit the dispersion member to be moved through the throat against the force of the water passing therethrough.

7. A shower head comprising a body having a directional flow passage formed therein terminating in a tapered throat having its smallest diameter at its discharge end, an unattached disper-' sion member located in the flow passage and normally extending through the throat and having a tapered section tapered in the same direction as the taper of the throat and defining with the throat a directional flow path, a lateral dispersion surface formed on the'dispersion member normally beyond the discharge end of the throat and the lateral dispersion surface being'of a diameter less than the smallest diameter of the throat, the directional flow passage formed between the dispersion member and the tapering of the throat f being such that the flow of water through the throat is directed against the dispersion surface, the body providing a flared skirt extended from the discharge end of the throat and against which the water which impinges upon the lateral dispersion surface engages whereby a fine spray of water is discharged from the head, and cooperating means between the dispersion member and the body such that the dispersion surface is positioned beyond the throat under the pressure of water flowing therethrough.

ERNEST HENRY BUCKNELL. 1 RALPH EDWIN BLETCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,423,960. July 15, 1947.

ERNEST H. BUOKNELL ET AL.

It is hereby certified that errors appear in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the grant, lines 6 and 19, and in the heading to the printed specification .line 12, for the name Robinson read Robertson; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 23rd day of September, A. D. 1947.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner 0 f Patents. 

